What does scaly male fern look like?
Scaly male fern is a large fern, with older specimens developing a dense base which can measure 20–30cm in height and 30–40cm in width. It is a robust, exceptionally tough fern which forms a rosette of erect fronds up to 1.6 metres in length, with dense, golden scales on the stems.
Leaves: light yellow-green initially, with hard fronds, becoming darker later in the year, 60–160cm long. The stem (rachis) at the base of the frond is densely covered in gold/rusty brown, shaggy scales known as remeta. The frond is bipinnate which means that not only is it divided into leaflets (pinnae), but those leaflets are also divided into leaflets called pinnules. The pinnae are broad and rectangular and measure 8–18cm long with the margin that's most toothed close to the tip.
Sori/spores: sori (where spores are stored) have a kidney-shaped covering and measure between 0.5–2mm wide. Spores ripen July to August.
Not to be confused with: other sub-species of scaly male fern, all of which are difficult to distinguish from male fern (Dryopteris filix-mas). However, the scaly male fern tends to be robust and has more evergreen fronds. It also has more pinnae and pinnules and more densely scaly fronds on the stems. A key characteristic is that Dryopteris affinis has a black dot where the pinnae join the stem.